Souljacker
by Dalva
Summary: NMBC/Johnny the Homicidal Maniac crossover, set before both things. Finished! Sally runs away, meets Johnny, and strange events occur that show how Nny goes insane. Read!
1. Chapter 1

~Chapter 1~  
  
Disclaimer: Any Nightmare Before Christmas characters belong to Tim Burton. If any Johnny the Homicidal Maniac characters show up later (which they most likely will) they belong to Jhonen Vasquez. No money involved. You no sue.  
  
AN: Alrighty. The idea for a NMBC/JtHM crossover was inspired by the song "Souljacker pt. 1" by the Eels. The two people it mentions in the song are named Johnny and Sally, and since Nny and Sally are two favorite characters of mine, I thought I would do this fic. To get myself started, I sorta based this first part on Siouxsie & the Banshees' song "Night Shift". It'll get more interesting and hopefully less angsty once I get it going. Anyway, read on, if you dare :^)  
  
  
  
Sally layed face down on her bed, contemplating her current situation.  
  
*What the heck is wrong with you?*  
  
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."  
  
*Oh, come on, I'm your inner voice! You can tell me!*  
  
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"  
  
*Yes.*  
  
She sighed. "OK. As usual, Jack Skellington has been on my mind lately."  
  
*Ah.*  
  
"Yes, but it's different than before. It's so much more intense. Everything is. Why am I so intense right now?"  
  
*Perhaps the fact that Halloween is approaching? This will be your first Halloween out, Sally. You're gonna be a little anxious. And I'm sure the fact that the man you admire is the Pumpkin King... Well, that probably contributed a bit.*  
  
Sally paused, then sighed sadly again. "But... What if it's more than admiration?"  
  
*Elaborate.*  
  
"I've been questioning my emotions lately. Sure, I've always felt that Jack is my other half, but... Now it's so much more. That without my other half beside me, I'm not a full person. I think I may be..." She cringed. "I think I may be in love with him."  
  
*Oh. Yeah, that's tough.*  
  
"Yes. Yes it is. I've never had a proper conversation with him, aside from the occasional "Hello" when passing him by on the street. But still without him I feel so sad. Like I need him in order to feel happy now."  
  
*No! You do NOT need someone in your life to make you happy! ESPECIALLY not a significant other. That's YOUR job, the happiness.*  
  
"I know that. Before now I've felt like such an independent, intelligent, strong woman."  
  
*And that you are.*  
  
"Thank you. But now I'm so vulnerable. I don't know what happened."  
  
*Well, vulnerability can be a good thing, if acted upon wisely. But still, you are perfectly happy the way you are, yes? I mean, except for the fact that you're Dr. Finkelstein's slave, of course.*  
  
"But that's just the thing! Jack, or at least my thinking of him, has made the slave thing so much worse for me! He's so free. He makes me yearn even more for that freedom I know I can't have!" She turned over and stared at the ceiling, choked down a slight sob and went on in a quieter tone. "Do you think, if I were with Jack, or even if I just knew him well, that he would be able to take me away from my slavery? Or would he make it even worse?"  
  
*No telling. We inner voices aren't psychic, you know. But I can tell you that Jack may not be all you think he is.*  
  
"Wait... Are you saying I'm too much of an idealist?"  
  
*Precisely. 'Oh brighter to have never loved, than gather ghosts of the blinding relentless sun idealized in you.'*  
  
"That's very nice."  
  
*Yes. Yes it is. Now please, do go on.*  
  
"I'm not sure what else to say. I don't know if I can bear to stay with the Doctor for one more day. I mean, I live with him, so in a way he's keeping me safe. But what's that compared to real life? I'm his 'precious jewel' as he loves to call me, that's locked away in a safe so as not to get damaged or stolen. But what's the point of having a jewel if it never sees the light of day?"  
  
*You and your metaphors. Nonetheless, you have a point there. But how does it link to Jack?*  
  
"I don't know. Maybe just that he could show me so much."  
  
*Well, why don't you do it yourself?*  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
*Run away.* 


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2~  
  
Disclaimer: Nny belongs to Jhonen Vasquez. Um, I think that's about it.  
  
AN: As you can see, in this chapter Nny is having a bit of a Devi complex, what with the artist's block. This isn't due to any demon paintings feeding off his creativity, though; it's just plain boredom. Now, with that aside, here's the deal: I know how this fic is gonna end, but I'm not sure about what's gonna happen with it in the middle. Weird, huh? But I'm sure I'll figure something out. Until then, here's chapter two.  
  
  
*Nny?*  
  
...  
  
*Nny?*  
  
...  
  
*Nny, if you don't answer me, you'll drive ourselves insane.*  
  
"Must I?"  
  
*Ah, good. So what's on your mind?*  
  
"Grr."  
  
*Words, please.*  
  
"Dangit. Why can't I leave myself alone?"  
  
*Because. Now, what's on your mind?*  
  
"Nothing."  
  
*Come now, don't be stubborn.*  
  
"No, I mean really, nothing. That's the problem. I'm bored beyond belief. My artwork has been severely neglected. My God. What I wouldn't give for...anything. Feeling. Excitement. A Brainfreezy."  
  
*Hmm... Well, you know the old saying, "be careful what you wish for"?*  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
*I think you should heed that advice. You may end up with something you don't want.*  
  
"Pssh. Like what? A moose?"  
  
*Possibly.*  
  
"Hmph."  
  
*You're getting awfully bitter, as well as inarticulate. Maybe you should step outside. Go to a club. Socialize, even.*  
  
"Sounds scary to me. I mean, who am I gonna socialize with? Everybody with whom I've come in contact doesn't seem too happy to be around me."  
  
*That may be because you give off some awfully negative vibes. Let's face it, you're not very fond of those of the human race. And I've noticed lately that you're thinking most of them should die very painful deaths.*  
  
"Only because they deserve it! Some people...well, MOST people...can be such idiots. Either way, I don't exactly have the motives or the personal strength enough to act upon my thoughts. Sometimes, though, I wish I did, with all the crap I go through."  
  
*Again, be careful what you wish for. Killing people isn't exactly the best idea in the world. And what's more, to have a strong motive is to be controlled. You don't want to be a slave to something, even if it is your own impulses, do you?*  
  
He sighed. "I don't even care anymore. This boredom is so fookin' torturous. I don't care what it takes--something has to happen."  
  
*Well, for now, I still say you should get outside.*  
  
"Hmm... OK, but just long enough to get a Brainfreezy."  
  
*That's the spirit.* 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money.  
  
AN: Garg. Sorry for the long-ish wait. I have good excuses, though! One, I haven't been getting enough sleep lately. Two, my phone line was being bizarre for awhile, so I wasn't able to go online anywhere but the library. Didn't have time to get the story typed and uploaded and all that. Three, I've been having a case of an extreme opposite of writer's block, which somehow turned INTO writer's block because I have too many ideas for other fics and I can't keep my mind straight. It's weird. But hey! Third chapter! Little or no angst here! And--gasp!--it's gonna have a plot! That's odd. Oh yeah, and I'm gonna keep it in the NMBC category at least until it's finished. I'll see what happens. Oke, enjoy.  
  
  
~Chapter 3~  
  
A day passed in Halloweentown. Sally sat once again on her bed, thinking of a way to sneak out of the house. The window was an option, but it seemed kinda...not safe. There had to be a way to get out the door without Dr. Finkelstein noticing. With him reading in the front room, that would be a difficult task. On the way up to her room, she had noticed he was reading an instructional book on his newest project/experiment -- creating a new breed of bloodthirsty demon. It sounded interesting. The doctor had been working on his beloved project for days, and always seemed reluctant to take a break from it.  
  
Sally's eyes lit up with inspiration as an eviiil grin crossed her face. Slowly she got up from her bed, and quickly stuffed a few of the necessities in a large bag, making sure to leave plenty of room in it. She then proceeded quietly downstairs to the doctor's lab.  
  
When she walked in the room, her attention was immediately directed towards a small table in the middle of her room. On it sat a flower pot holding...well, the creation, obviously, but it didn't look at all like what Sally expected it to. She expected a more vicious, freaky looking thing. This looked more like a synthetic vine-octopus hybrid. More plant-like, she decided. [AN: The idea of it being a plant is sort of a joke. If you haven't figured it out yet, I won't spoil it for you by explaining it.] Nonetheless, she carefully placed it in her bag and ran upstairs to put the bag away for the time being.  
  
~*~  
  
Sally gasped. "Doctor!"  
  
"What is it, Sally?" Finkelstein replied calmly.  
  
"That project of yours. Please tell me you moved it."  
  
The doctor paused. "Isn't it still in the lab?"  
  
"There's no trace of it!" Sally exclaimed, doing a good job at covering up the fact that she was the one who moved it.   
  
"No trace of it?!" the doctor repeated, panicking. "It shouldn't have been strong enough to move by its own yet! At the rate it's going, who knows what damage it may cause!" He looked around in desperation. "Sally, as much as I hate to leave you alone, I must go out to look for it. You stay here, just in case it comes back on its own somehow." And with that, Dr. Finkelstein went out the door as fast as his wheelchair motor would allow.  
  
Sally grinned again, and ran upstairs to get the bag with the plant still in place. On the way out the door, she quickly grabbed the book her "master" had been reading: How To Create and Care For You Own Bloodthirsty Demon. 


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Heh, I am SO no keeping up with this fic like I should. But chapter four is here, so yay! I know nothing much happens here, but it's necessary for the ending. I already know what's gonna happen in the next chapter, so it should be up quicker than this was. Also, next chapter should be mostly about Nny--maybe both characters--and hopefully longer.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, no money, do I really need to put this in every chapter?  
  
  
~Chapter 4~  
  
Sally found herself at the outskirts of Halloweentown. She felt a combination of excitement and fear, as well as freedom, as one would when running away. But she realized that, even with leaving town, emotional freedom was still out of reach. While she no doubt had suddenly adopted her personal independence, she still held on to what she felt for Jack. This would be all the more harder -- not only would she have the same "separation" from him as before, she would also have distance to deal with. Sally was still deciding whether this was a bad thing or not. Perhaps separation would be good for her soul after awhile. She turned back to give what she thought to be her last glance at Halloween town. She smiled, then went on her way again.  
  
~*~  
  
Hours passed. Sally was getting quite tired from the constant walking, not having stopped to rest yet. She figured now would be a good time to do so, as she hadn't planned on anywhere to go, really. Plus, she had come upon a graveyard, a good place to take refuge and gather your thoughts on a journey.  
  
Sally rested on a bench. She took out Dr. Finkelstein's book (rather, ex-book) and proceeded to skin through and read parts of it by the moonlight. Here, the dreaded inner voice kicked in again.  
  
*Hmm. Interesting.*  
  
"Yes, it is. Says here that, if your demon is more of a plant breed, it prefers dark spaces, and has some of the behavioral tendencies of...termites." She raised an eyebrow slightly at that last bit.  
  
*Termites?*  
  
"Yeah, termites. That's what it says."  
  
*Oookay then. What else does it say?*  
  
"That was all for that section." Sally skimmed past a few more pages -- more talk about the creation process, troubleshooting, special care, etc. "Hmm. Side affects of keeping your demon." She read on. "Potential spiritual problems. If not controlled or kept in clear sight, it may take over a bit and summon unwanted beings. Veeery interesting."  
  
*Indeed. So, where are you headed?*  
  
"No clue." Sally put the book back in her bag, picked it up and stood. "Guess I'll have to figure it out as I go along." As she began walking again, she tripped over a low headstone. Bracing herself with it as she got up, the top came off, revealing a deep hole. It was clear that this was not just a stone, but a portal-door thingy as well. [AN: Yay, the return of portal-door thingies in cemeteries! Hehe. Shameless plug: Read my fic 'Big Empty' :^)]  
  
"I think that's an indication of where I'm headed," Sally observed to herself. She looked at it hesitantly, then finally jumped into the portal. 


	5. Chapter 5

AN: This chapter was written with a stolen pen from the library and Love & Rockets playing. Yay! L&R = addictive. So anyway, this may be a bit forced in some parts. And just so you know, Nny isn't a homicidal maniac yet in this, so that's why he's acting like a wuss. Also, thanks to my wonderful ten reviewers. This is actually the most reviews I've ever had in a story. Sad, yes? Hehe. Oke, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Pssh.  
  
  
~Chapter 5~  
  
Nny walked off of his property like he was entering foreign land. He hadn't been outside in at least a week and a half, and had grown quite comfortable in the safety of his own home. And now...this. Nonetheless, he looked up to notice a lovely moon out that night, and felt more at ease as he walked in the direction of the 24/7. He took a deep breath of the fragrant night air, and actually felt good about this little excursion. 'Why don't I take walks more often?' he thought to himself. Within a few seconds, the busy part of town was in plain view. Littered with...people. Nny shuddered at this thought. 'Mmmyeah. THAT'S why I never take walks.' He carried on still towards his beloved Brainfreezies, a very rare good mood having been shot.   
  
Nny received a few rude glances from those sitting outside Café le Prick. He managed to ignore them, as he usually did. Unfortunately, though, on the next street a very drunk guy and his very drunk girlfriend were engaged in some serious PDAs outside a bar. Nny's eye twitched at this as he tried to avoid this couple altogether. Of course, this is a bit difficult when certain drunk guys go out of their way to get up in your face while his girlfriend stands by giggling.  
  
"Hey, Beth," the guy called over to his girlfriend, "look at the skinny fag over here." Beth simply laughed harder. The guy continued his ever-so intelligent speech. "You wouldn't ever date a guy like this, would you?"  
  
Beth's laughter increased even more. "Of course not, babe!" Nny cringed to himself at her usage of the word "babe". "You're so much more built than he is! And he's not even saying anything. Talk about boring." Beth ended with one more giggle.  
  
She was right, Nny thought. This guy WAS really built, and quite a bit taller than him as well. That was the whole reason he wasn't saying anything -- a fear of being maimed.  
  
The guy (since his name obviously won't be revealed any other way, let's dub him Gene :^D) took Beth's comments as an advantage. "Yeah. So obviously I must be smarter than him if he's so quiet. Aren't I?!" he asked Nny forcefully.  
  
"Um..." Nny started. "Have you ever taken an IQ test?"  
  
A puzzled look crossed Gene's face. "What's that?" Nny resisted the urge to laugh. Gene took no notice of this and continued. "Yeah, well either way, I still say you're a faggot, and I won't let you go until you admit it."  
  
Nny blinked and looked around. He cursed himself for giving into the "urge" to go outside. Finally, he replied, "Define faggot."  
  
Almost as a reflex, Gene pushed him up against the outside wall of the bar, and...well, knocked his lights out, basically. Beth returned to her laughing as the two walked away, leaving Nny on the ground with what would soon be a black eye.  
  
~*~  
  
Sally crawled out of the other side of the portal and looked around at her rather plain surroundings. No elaborate ironwork. No extremely fancy headstones. Just your everyday, boring cemetery. Despite this, it was nice to be somewhere different, she decided. It was also nice to be alone...or at least that's what she thought. Within minutes, the resident graveyard maniac had his hand over her mouth and was dragging her away, telling her to cooperate or he would "really mess her up." [AN: OK, yeah, so this is a bit unrealistic. Bear with me here.] She struggled and screamed as loud as she could with a hand over her mouth, but that wasn't very loud, and the maniac wouldn't relent. Sally wondered if this demon she was carrying was causing this to happen, or if it was just the Universe punishing her for escaping. Either way, she could only hope for a miracle.  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, Nny had long since gotten up from the blow he had taken, and was now returning home after acquiring his Brainfreezy. He decided to take the longer, scenic route home, as he wanted to avoid any more drunk people who mistook him for a cigarette. He walked down a road lit only by the full moon overhead. He was feeling a bit better being out of the downtown area, despite the black eye, and his eyes began to wander around at his surroundings. There were only a couple houses he had passed so far, and quite a few trees lined the road. Looking to his right, he observed a small cemetery. He wouldn't have thought anything of it if something going on near the middle of the graveyard hadn't caught his attention. He passed it off as a few kids drinking in the graveyard at midnight, until he thought he heard muffled screams. Now, Nny isn't exactly the heroic type, but this sparked his curiosity, so he decided to investigate.  
  
The maniac stopped dragging Sally and looked up to see Nny entering the cemetery slowly, looking around wide-eyed. He muttered an expletive under his breath, then dropped Sally and ran away before the "intruder" could see him. Sally landed on the ground with a thud and a small, startled shriek. Nny automatically looked over in her direction as she got up to dust herself off. He decided to go over and ask her what happened. 


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Okeedokee. Nothing really big or exciting happens in this chapter, but it's necessary for what comes next. Yes, I finally figured out where this is gonna go! And how to get to the ending! Yay! I know what's going to happen in the next chapter, so be expecting part seven when I get back from this convention thingy--which will be Friday- or Saturday-ish. Yes. Next chapter will be stunningly excellent, and will make up for this one's badness. I can almost guarantee you this. And, just so you know, I'm shooting for about eight or nine chapters. Ten will be a stretch. Oke, I've rambled on enough. Now on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: Again, pssh.  
  
  
~Chapter 6~  
  
Nny put aside his fear of communication and approached Sally. Just as he was about to ask her if she was alright, she looked up at him. Nny's eyes grew a bit wider at her slightly shocking appearance. He noticed her stitches and her sheet white skin. In fact, her skin appeared cloth-like in general, both in texture and color. Her eyes gave off a very gentle vibe--far more gentle than normally possible, or at least more than he had ever witnessed. 'She can't be human,' he thought. 'I'm so glad.'  
  
"Um..." Sally added awkwardly to the silence, breaking Nny's thoughts.  
  
"Oh yeah," Nny began, obviously off to a wonderful start. "Um, what exactly just happened with that...person? It seemed kinda...not good."  
  
Sally blinked a few times to herself, still trying to fully collect herself from that little "incident" with her kidnapper. "Oh my. I don't even know. He just kind of...I mean...he just..."  
  
"Came out of nowhere?" Nny finished, seeing she was having trouble with words.  
  
"Yeah, exactly," Sally replied, glad that he knew what she meant.  
  
An awkward silence, as there normally would be in a situation like this. Nny had chosen to not develop his people skills, obviously, and Sally just wasn't around people much, so neither one was a great conversationalist. Nny was still wondering so much about this new person who had just crossed his path. She was obviously a new "kind" of person, at least as far as he knew. He decided to start simple: "So, uh, what's your name, anyway?"  
  
"Sally," she replied. "What about you?"  
  
"My name is Johnny, but you can call me Nny, I suppose." Sally nodded. Seeing that she wasn't running away from him yet, Nny decided to carry on with questioning this intriguing new being. "So, Sally... Where exactly were you going? I mean, not that I'm trying to butt into your business or anything, but it seems a bit odd for, you know, all of this to happen."  
  
Sally widened her eyes in a sort of thoughtful way. "Well, I'm not quite sure. You see, I'm sort of... It's a long story, really."  
  
"Trust me, I'm in no hurry," Nny replied.  
  
"OK," Sally began. "I'm running away. I was basically a slave to a somewhat mad scientist, who was very overprotective. I just got sick of it and...well, here I am. That's the condensed version, at least."  
  
"Very brave of you," Nny said. "Though not quite safe, as has already been demonstrated."  
  
Sally nodded. "Yes. I'm beginning to wonder if I should go back. As much as I dislike not being free, I would hate to be kidnapped again."  
  
Nny thought for a bit. He didn't very well like the idea of someone else in his house, especially someone he didn't even know. But his conscience was getting to him, and besides, his curiosity had been sparked about this situation even before he had seen her. "Well, if you trust me enough, I suppose I could keep you at least overnight. If not, that's perfectly understandable. I WOULD sort of like to hear more of your story, though."  
  
Now Sally thought for a bit about this. "Eh... Sure, why not? I COULD use a place to spend the night. I suppose it's better than staying out in the open."  
  
Nny nodded. Both of them were hoping they hadn't made the wrong decision. Nonetheless, off they went to Nny's house.  
  
~*~  
  
When they arrived, Nny and Sally both still had their doubts. Either way, Nny showed Sally to one of the more hospitible rooms among the hundreds in the house. Sally warily dropped her bag o' stuff onto the dusty couch in the room, making sure not to upset the demon-plant-thingy. The room was pretty much empty, aside from this piece of furniture. It obviously wasn't a bedroom, or it didn't appear to be, considering its tiny size and lack of a bed. She figured a couch was better than nothing, however.  
  
"You've certainly got an interesting...set-up. I mean, with the house, and all the lower levels and such."  
  
"Yeah. This is actually one of the upper levels. There's a countless number of levels below this one. I still can't figure out why someone would build a house like this." He paused thoughtfully. "At least it makes for an adequate amount of storage room."  
  
Sally chuckled a bit under her breath at this. She was still looking around the room cautiously. Despite its small size and plain appearance, there was something unusual about it. Sally had always had a good intuition. Something wasn't right about this place, she decided. She turned to Nny. "Thanks again for keeping me overnight." Nny nodded in a sort of 'you're welcome' way. "Anyway, I'm really tired, after all the walking and all. I think I'll probably just go straight to sleep."  
  
Sleep. Nny had almost forgotten about this concept. It took a couple seconds for it to register in his brain. "Oh, OK. Uh, have a good time. Or something." He smiled a bit in departing, then walked out the door, shutting it behind him. As soon as he walked off, he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with him. It wasn't like him to actually HELP someone. This series of events was highly unprobable. In fact, it was almost like some really bad writer was running low on ideas, and made him terribly out-of-character. This "writer" might possibly be unoriginal when it comes to gags, as well. He sighed. And what was with this Sally person? She seemed like some form of abstract art -- he didn't have a clue where she came from or what she was supposed to be. Suddenly he stopped in his footsteps for a second to gather his thoughts. "No," he said quietly to himself. "I'll put it out of my mind. Yeah. And she'll tell me all about herself in the morning, I'm sure." And with that, he continued on towards the top level of the house. 


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Wow. OK, I've just gone completely sci-fi nerd on you here. You have the band The Church to thank for this, not any illegal drugs. Anyway, this is a bit...odd. And it may confoose you even more than the last chapter, which was actually meant to throw you off a bit. But hey! Even though it's way too short, this, as well as the next chapter, totally kicks/will kick the rest of the fic's butt. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: [Insert MSN tomato head smiley here]  
  
  
Chapter 7:  
  
When Nny left Sally to her room, she immediately pulled out the slightly worn patchwork blanket she had brought with her, and rested on the couch. She remained lying on the rather uncomfortable piece of furniture for about ten minutes until she made a sudden realization -- she wasn't sleepy anymore. Sure, her brain and every other muscle in her body were screaming for sleep, but it seemed pretty much out of her ability at the moment. It was as if there was a spirit of restlessness in the room. What a depressing thought. She sighed, then flicked on the light switch on the wall above the couch. She got out the plant/demon book, and flipped over to the page on which she had left off. She re-read the last sentence. "If not controlled or kept in clear sight..." Sally thought to herself, 'I haven't exactly been doing that...' She read on. "...it may take over a bit and summon unwanted beings." She glared at the one tentacle sticking out of her bag. Continuing, "The opposite may also apply. If not cared for properly, it may suck up naturally occuring spirits, emotions, urges, etc., even that of its owner; may even go as far as to extract one's creative forces and harness it for its own purposes. Also doubles as a hat stand." Sally's eyes widened at the creative forces bit as she thought to herself, 'OK, it's time to get rid of this thing.' She got up, picked up the demon and walked out of the room quietly, so as not to draw any attention to the fact that she was awake. As she walked in what she thought to be the direction of the stairs...  
  
*This place is pretty big, yes?*  
  
"Yeah, it is. I've never seen such an elaborately built house. Almost like a labyrinth."  
  
*Elaborate, labyrinthian things have always intrigued you, Sally. Why don't you look around a bit?*  
  
"Well, I WOULD, except I really should get rid of this...thing."  
  
*Where are you gonna drop it off at? Plus, there's something you need to see in a room on one of the lower levels.*  
  
Sally raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. She was very intrigued by now. "Hmm... OK. I guess it wouldn't hurt. I'll just have to make sure not to get lost." And off she went to find this room.  
  
~*~  
  
Sally was about to collapse, it seemed. She must have been walking around aimlessly for hours and hours. She was down about twenty levels, and had lost count of how many rooms she had entered. Why was she even doing this? Her inner voice, which had led her down here, had earlier stated that "inner voices aren't psychic." She was about to give up, before she spotted a door with a low blue glow coming out from the bottom. [AN: What is it with me and blue glowy thingies?] 'This must be it!' she thought, both relieved and excited that she had finally found what she was looking for.   
Slowly, she entered the room. As she did, the glow completely disappeared, leaving her in darkness. This disturbed and upset Sally. Anxious to see where the glow had come from, she felt along the walls for a light switch with the hand that was free of holding the plant. When she put her hand on the wall opposite of the room's door, she felt an incredible warmth. As curious as ever, and with a puzzled look on her face, she felt around the wall a bit more. Soon, small, almost unnoticeable vibrations could be felt along the wall. The vibrations built up slowly until the part of the wall Sally was standing in front of became invisible. There was about two feet of room between where the first wall had been and another one. The second wall soon did the same as the first, only this time turning into a fine, blue mist. As Sally looked on, mystified, beyond the mist that was once a solid block of concrete, she saw what looked like...the universe. Sally's jaw dropped at this. All that was visible was the faint glow of distant stars and other heavenly bodies. Though, despite the vast emptiness, somehow there seemed to be more there than what met the eye. It was a purely spiritual feeling that was being emitted from the universe--what seemed to be a sense of infinite peace and balance among a dark vacuum. Seeing the universe. Really a once in a life time experience. Considering this, she put away her almost overwhelming fear of the unknown, closed her eyes, and took a giant leap behind the mist. 


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I'm sorry to all my "faithful" readers, however faithful that may be, but I must end this fic in the next chapter. Yup, only one more chapter to go. But this is a good one! You'd have to be familiar with JtHM to really be blown away, though. Anyway, this is really the part that was inspired by the song "Magician Among The Spirits" by The Church, and the little "verse" thingy in this chapter is part of the song, sorta. Oke, plug time: I pity da foo' who has never listened to this band. Go get the album. Yeah, so read on.  
  
Disclaimer: ...grr.  
  
  
Sally stood in the vacuum, surrounded by the same warmth she had felt on the wall. Yes, she was standing -- not falling or floating like she had expected -- and it wasn't even a conscious effort. For once in her life she felt calm and balanced. After being a slave all her life, and almost getting kidnapped on her first attempt at escape, this was quite an experience. She soon forgot all about the plant in her hands and closed her eyes, taking advantage of this new restful feeling. After about fifteen minutes, a faint whisper recited,  
  
"Magician, magician, my star,  
From where on earth do you look out,  
Into outer space?  
I am in a forest heather,  
You shall not find me again,  
Farewell my daughters, I'll see you soon..."  
  
Sally opened her eyes at this. Before she could wonder what the heck that was supposed to mean or from where it was coming, something suddenly appeared not one hundred feet away from her. At first it looked like a dull, gray light, but as it slowly approached, Sally realized it had a human-ish form. For some reason she wasn't afraid of whatever this thing was. And plus, even if she WAS afraid, she wasn't entirely certain she could run away. The light figure came up close to Sally and looked her straight in the eye. At this, the ragdoll nearly dropped the plant. The figure's features were identical to her own. Shocked, she wondered what exactly was going on.  
  
"Don't look quite so shocked. It's not like I'm anything new to you," the figure said.  
  
Sally's look of shock turned into confusion. She replied with an ever-so eloquent "Huh?"  
  
"You know how you have your little internal conversations?" the figure offered.  
  
"Y-Yes..."  
  
"Well, I'm the other end of them. I basically represent your inner voice, your conscience, your intuition, all that good stuff. So you're really talking to yourself right now. I'm also the one who told you to come down here in the first place."  
  
"...Oh," Sally replied, feeling a bit stupid.  
  
"But anyway, that brings me to my point," the inner voice -- now outer voice? -- began. "You really need to go back to Halloweentown. For one, you need to be there for quite a big event happening in the not-so-distant future. It'll all work out for the best, I promise."  
  
Sally raised her eyebrow at her inner voice. "Waaait. I thought you said inner voices weren't psychic."  
  
"Well, OK, we are a little, but I wasn't going to spoil it for you."  
  
"Kinda sad when you literally lie to yourself like that."  
  
"OK, as I was saying," the inner voice continued, trying to avoid where this conversation was going. "As well as this, the demon you have there has already gone to work on Nny. His house is built on a burial ground, you see. Those lower rooms are actually where many bodies were buried, so when the bodies were removed to make way for the rooms, the spirits got a little agitated. The house, however, can't be haunted unless some external force allows it -- the external force in question being the demon. Basically, it could get some disgruntled spirits to 'work' for it. That's the type of thing that could literally make its host, in this case Nny, insane. If you don't leave immediately, Sally, you could also be subject to that insanity. That's not good." Sally started to say something, but her inner voice cut her off. "So go! And hurry; the passageway is closing up." Sally looked back towards what had been the last "layer" of wall. Sure enough, the light on the other side was fading as the mist started to solidify. She started towards it, feeling as if she was walking in slow motion. When she reached the passageway, and got behind the now almost solid mist, she called back, "What do I do with the plant?"  
  
*Just leave it right where you're standing, and don't worry about it.* This time the voice was in her head, as usual. She set the plant down and stepped back into the room as both layers of wall closed up. She watched as the front layer of wall closed in front of the plant, trapping it between both layers. After this, Sally darted off out the door, and hopefully back in the same direction from which she came.   
  
~*~  
  
After several mix-ups in how to get back to the upper levels, Sally finally made it to her room. She grabbed her stuff as fast as she could, walked up the steps to the main room, and ran out the front door. Apparently her place was still in Halloweentown, and that's just where she was headed. 


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Yes. The last chapter. Maybe depressing, but oh well. All good (or bad, in this case) things must come to an end. Heh, I kid, I actually think this one turned out relatively good. Anyway, you may have had to read JtHM to really get the end of this chapter. If not, and you want a sequel, go read the books! Oh, one more thing. The rating increased because I had to use the F-word in this chapter. Usually I try to avoid profanity in stuff I write, but it was necessary here.  
  
Disclaimer: Tim Burton, Jhonen Vasquez, blah blah blah.   
  
  
~Chapter 9~  
  
By late morning, Sally was back where she had started, in her hometown. The familiar smells of raw pumpkin, Halloween candy and rotting flesh greeted her as she walked down the main road. It was relieving to see the familiar faces once again. While her recent experiences were certainly adventurous, safety was a bigger priority to her. This was no doubt found here, rather than the surprisingly scarier world beyond the grave in the cemetery. She smiled to herself, looking up at Jack's mansion before walking in the door of her own home. Her smile soon faded, however, as she came face to face with a rather irritated Dr. Finkelstein.  
  
"Hello, Sally," he greeted, his voice nearly dripping poison. "And just where have you been?"  
  
Sally cringed. Busted. Nonetheless, that WAS a good question. "I'm...not quite sure, really," she replied honestly.  
  
Her master snorted at this. "Either way, you disobeyed me. Who knows what could have happened to you, Sally! You could have been murdered, raped, kidnapped..." Sally gave a small laugh under her breath, "...any number of things! And what's more, I think my project may have followed you out the door. I haven't been able to find it yet." He sighed. "This calls for punishment, I believe. You are to stay inside this Halloween. I was planning on letting you go out this year, but it seems you've already BEEN out." Sally's facial expression was now one of complete shock and disappointment. "That is all." And with that, the scientist wheeled out of the room.  
  
Sally sighed melodramatically and plopped down in a chair. "That wretched inner voice!"  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, it was about 11 AM where Sally had left. Nny noticed that his visitor wasn't up yet. He left his own room [AN: I'm not entirely sure he has a designated "room" for himself, as he never sleeps, but let's pretend anyway.] and proceeded down the steep stairs that led to where Sally had been. As he descended the steps, a creepy feeling came over him. It seemed to increase little by little the further down he went. Something wasn't right. He finally got to his destination, and looked in. Nothing but the old couch. Puzzled and a bit disappointed, he wondered what might have happened to Sally.  
  
"Maybe you scared her off, Nny," a faint, yet eerie, voice somehow replied to his thoughts. Startled, Nny looked around. The voice must have come from upstairs. He left the room and ran back up the stairs. Bursting into the main room, he looked around again. Still nothing that hadn't been there before. 'My God, am I insane?' he thought to himself.  
  
"Perhaps," a slightly more lively, yet just as eerie, voice replied.  
  
Nny turned around. The voices were definitely coming from the right side of the room. "Who said that?" he asked aloud.  
  
"Over here."   
  
Nny followed the voice to two objects sitting on an end table. Styrofoam doughboys. He had brought them home from the supermarket about a week ago and painted them. And now they were talking to him. He was pretty much beyond words. "...What the..."  
  
"Trust me, you don't want to know," said the one he had heard from downstairs. Nny decided it was the one with the four-letter-word written across its chest. The slightly more lively sounding one must've been the one with the "Z?" written on it.   
  
"But you MAY want to know that we can let you do whatever you want!" the "Z?" doughboy added. Nny thought about what that may mean until a more familiar voice inside his head cut in.  
  
*Nny, do NOT listen to them. They are BAD. Do whatever you must to get away from them. Whatever you do, don't do anything they say.*  
  
Nny ignored this, as the last time he followed his own inner voice it got him a black eye. "Anything?"  
  
"Yes, anything! Your deepest desires and darkest thoughts. We can make them a reality! In fact, we know already about your distaste for people. You said you thought none of them deserved to live, but you don't feel you could take matters into your own hands. Well, we can guide you through the process! Just think of the possibilities!"  
  
Nny's eyes widened. "Fuck!"  
  
"Hee. I like the sound of that," "Z?" replied.  
  
"Good. Maybe I should start calling you that, if you plan on sticking around." [AN: As in most JtHM fics, he will be referred to as 'Eff' from now on.]  
  
"Works for me, and yes, both of us do plan on sticking around. Anyway, we know what to do to get you started. Stick with us, kid, and you'll be fine."  
  
"After all, you CAN'T do it yourself," the other doughboy added.   
  
"Don't bring the boy down! We'll lose him!"  
  
"Good!"  
  
Eff realized Nny's eyebrow was raised slightly at his and the other doughboy's little outbursts. "Ahem."  
  
"Waaait... That creepy feeling I got downstairs. Did that have anything to do with you?" Nny asked.  
  
"Eh, sort of. It's all part of the process, though. Don't worry. Soon you won't feel anything," Eff replied.  
  
"Process?"  
  
"Don't worry about it. We need to get started. Your first task--your initiation, if you will--is to go to a pet shop and get a bunny. We'll tell you what to do with it..."  
  
  
The end! 


End file.
